Chapter 62: The Weight of Doubt and a Perilous Plan

“So you can’t come back with me,” Amos stated, his tone matter-of-fact.

“First, if we both return, what was the point of escaping with such difficulty?”

“Secondly…” He gestured towards the wings on my back.

“As an angel, you are an incredibly conspicuous presence in a city swarming with demons. Flying in is no longer an option. Taking you with me would easily expose us, making it impossible to blend into the city.”

“I can retract my wings, you know that…” I argued, a desperate last stand.

“Even retracted, it’s not safe! You yourself mentioned it before; weren’t you recognized by a Succubus?”

“What’s more, without combat capabilities, you would only become a liability. Your aerial advantage is useless within the city walls now.”

“It’s far more prudent for you to rush and find reinforcements, allowing you to better utilize your swift flight.”

Amos’s tone left no room for doubt as he finalized the arrangement. His reasoning was so sound that it left me with virtually no counter-arguments.

Furthermore, I understood the unspoken words he alluded to. Despite my reluctance, I couldn’t immediately conjure a better reason to justify my inclusion.

“How about we first go together to check out that volcano? It’s not far, after all. If it truly is the teleportation exchange point we’re looking for, it won’t be too late to split up then. If it isn’t, we can still locate the correct place first before deciding our next steps.”

Left with no alternative, I proposed this to Amos. Since he intended to return to the city alone, it seemed better to thoroughly explore the outside with him beforehand; once inside, it would be difficult to leave again.

Truthfully, I truly disliked the idea of moving alone in such an environment, surrounded by powerful enemies and feeling as vulnerable as if in an open latrine.

“We might not have the time…” Amos replied, a wry smile on his face as he rejected my suggestion.

“I understand your point, and honestly, I don’t want to waste this opportunity either. However, there are more critical matters to attend to inside the city.”

“What critical matters?” I asked, somewhat puzzled. Could there truly be anything more urgent than investigating our escape route?

“I’m mainly worried something might have happened to the captain and the others…”

Amos seemed disinclined to divulge much more, offering only a vague remark. Yet, his words left me utterly bewildered.

“Something happened? What could possibly happen?” I asked, utterly bewildered.

To be safe, Alfred and the others were never supposed to leave our base during this operation. They were to remain hidden indoors, essentially ensuring their complete safety.

“You’re not trying to trick me again, are you?”

I gazed at Amos suspiciously. It felt as though I’d fallen for his ploys several times before, and this time, I wouldn’t rest until I got a clear explanation.

“Fine, it seems you won’t understand unless I explain it clearly.”

Amos let out a resigned sigh, turning to gaze in the direction of Val City. He spoke to me in a very somber tone.

“You haven’t been here long, so you might not have noticed, but our squad has been trapped here for a week now. We’ve reached rock bottom, truly at the brink of collapse, both in terms of supplies and morale.”

“That serious? No way!” I stared at him, utterly bewildered. From my perspective, his words seemed alarmist.

“I certainly understand the issue with supplies; otherwise, I wouldn’t have gone out to find monster meat to make do. But as for low morale, Erica and Hayden always seemed quite optimistic, didn’t they?”

“That’s because they’ve pinned all their hopes on you, the angel! It wasn’t like this before you appeared.”

Amos glanced back at me, then continued.

“I overlooked it at first, never realizing the immense pressure they’ve placed on you.”

“This aerial escape attempt failed; you were hunted by bone dragons in the sky. Though you ultimately escaped, what do you think the people left behind will be thinking?”

“Shouldn’t their morale have soared? They must think we’re incredibly powerful, right?”

I asked uncertainly. After all, those were two Rank 6 bone dragons! We managed to shoot them down, leaving them temporarily immobilized on the ground.

“How could you think that way? I’ve already told you not to constantly dwell on others’ judgments and opinions of you.”

Amos pressed a hand to his forehead, apparently speechless at my response.

“My point is for you to look at this entire situation from the perspective of everyone escaping…”

“R-right… I’m sorry.” Prompted by his words, I realized my thoughts had strayed again and quickly apologized.

“If viewed from the angle of escape, the possibility of leaving by air again is virtually nonexistent. What’s more, I, the only one capable of flight, am now outside the city…”

My expression instantly changed as I grasped the gravity of the situation. The squad’s circumstances inside the city were grim; their retreat was cut off, with no viable path either by air or by ground.

“As the captain, Alfred’s only recourse now will likely be to continue with the conservative strategy I proposed earlier: holding their ground and waiting for the city to be unsealed.”

Seeing that my thoughts had finally returned to the correct path, Amos offered his analysis.

“In truth, the enemy’s main target is you, the angel. After your escape, the situation for those inside should improve significantly. However, the others might not realize this, and they might lose the confidence to persevere, especially without your Purification Spell to process the monster meat…”

A deep concern permeated his words, as if he were subtly hinting that the situation might devolve into something far worse.

“Are you saying they might have disagreements… or even internal strife?”

I furrowed my brow, pondering for a moment. It didn’t seem very likely.

“Surely not? There’s nothing left to disagree on now, as the only viable plan is the conservative strategy you mentioned. Besides, Erica and Hayden don’t seem like the type to challenge Alfred.”

“They are all veteran members who follow the captain, so they typically wouldn’t. However, Blanche is another matter. Like me, she’s a new recruit this time, and the situation could be even worse than internal strife—she might even betray us…”

Seeing that the conversation had reached this point, Amos no longer held back, revealing the answer directly.

“Blanche? How could that be!” That was my immediate reaction. I still remembered that, besides Alfred, she was the only one in the squad who had reached Rank 5 in strength.

Compared to Erica and Hayden, Blanche and I hadn’t interacted much. Aside from her statements when Alfred asked her to recount the squad’s experiences at the very beginning, she rarely spoke to me.

My immediate impression of her was that she was highly valued by the captain. She participated in every scouting mission and was entrusted with everyone’s storage rings. Therefore, I simply couldn’t believe she would betray us all.

“Judging by your expression, you seem to have a rather good impression of her?” Amos asked, his gaze utterly exasperated.

“You don’t actually believe what she said earlier was meant to help you, do you?”

I paused, then realized he was referring to the situation earlier today, when Alfred announced my test of aerial escape within the city, and Sally, Hayden, and Erica were all questioning me.

“Uh, are you implying I was used?” My expression clouded over. I hadn’t felt that way before, but after Amos’s scolding, it became clear that Blanche’s words had been nothing short of pushing me into a pit of fire.

“Not all concern comes in the form of kind words…”

Watching his earnest expression, I felt a little speechless. Honestly, I understood these truths, but it was the first time in my life I’d experienced such profound trust from others, making it difficult for me to adjust my mindset so quickly.

“But that doesn’t mean she would betray everyone, does it?” I questioned, perplexed.

“Even if Blanche’s initial encouragement had ulterior motives, that’s an entirely different matter, isn’t it? Perhaps she was just desperate to leave, which is why she would…”

It was then that I suddenly understood.

“She…”

“My fear is that her mentality has collapsed, that she won’t be able to wait any longer, and will end up doing something foolish.”

Amos looked at me with a solemn gaze, then handed me a piece of paper.

“This refers to me?” I asked. Seeing the notice that offered a bounty for an angel and a human, I was experiencing the sensation of being wanted for the first time in such a place.

“Blanche and I saw this yesterday when we were outside the city,” Amos informed me.

He then pointed to the small print at the very bottom.

“They also promised optimal treatment and safe passage home to anyone willing to surrender.”

“This isn’t a trap, is it?”

I read every word, a heavy feeling settling over me. It seemed the enemy had already deduced that Sally and I had been accidentally teleported here, and they even clearly understood our objectives.

“Whether it’s a trap or not, it’s undeniably very tempting. The reason I didn’t mention it before was out of fear that some might have second thoughts once they knew.”

Amos explained.

“However, after Blanche saw this notice, she inexplicably vanished for a period. Although she returned with a pile of monster meat, claiming she had gone to find food, I don’t believe it was that simple.”

“Are you suggesting she already tipped them off yesterday? But why haven’t any demons come to capture us yet?”

I felt my hand, clutching the notice, tremble slightly.

“It might not have reached that point yet. I suspect she’s already begun making preparations in that regard. But with your failed test today, the enemy certainly won’t be content…”

Amos voiced his speculation.

“What about Sally?”

I asked urgently. Regardless of the others, she was my mission objective. If she were captured along with everyone else, how could I explain it to the Church, even if I managed to escape?

“Don’t panic!” Amos said, grasping my shoulders with both hands.

“You can’t enter the city now. I’ll do my best to ensure Sally’s safety!”

He was right; I was too conspicuous a target. My only hope now was to rely on Amos to prevent this from happening.